Sheffield Children's Centre

Ataxia UK accredited Specialist Ataxia Centres are centres of excellence, where people with ataxia receive the best possible quality of care and a co-ordinated service combining diagnosis, treatment, support and research. They have been set up in direct response to needs identified by people affected by ataxia, as well as clinicians with expertise in the condition.

To achieve accreditation, centres have to comply with criteria devised following consultation with patients with ataxia and clinicians with an expertise in ataxia, to provide ‘excellence of care for the diagnosis and management of the ataxias, and access to a wide range of integrated services, as well as links to research programmes’.

The Children's Ataxia Centre in Sheffield

The first Ataxia Specialist Centre for children has opened at the Sheffield Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. The Paediatric Centre provides expertise in ataxia for children, access to an ataxia nurse and other services such as speech therapy and physiotherapy. This will speed up diagnosis and ensure that parents and children receive the best possible support. They aim to:

Provide specialist expertise in the diagnosis and management of the ataxias in children
Provide signposting to the allied specialty services and local multidisciplinary teams
Provide research opportunities and offer links and collaboration with other ataxia centres and allied specialties

Specialist Children's Ataxia Clinics

Initially there will be Specialist Children’s Ataxia Clinic four times a year but this is likely to increase as more children get referred. The Centre will see children and young people up to 18 years of age.

Involvement in Research
Dr Mordekar is already involved in collaboration with Professor Hadjivassiliou and is ambitious for more involvement e.g. global ataxia initiatives such as SCA global and ARCA global.

The Clinic Team
Dr Santosh Mordekar, Paediatric Neurologist with expertise in ataxia is running the Centre with the support of Jackie Cutts, Paediatric Ataxia Specialist Nurse.

Anyone interested in getting an appointment to attend the ataxia clinic should ask their doctor or neurologist for a referral. Referrals are accepted from GPs and neurologists throughout the UK. For a printer-friendly version of this page to bring to your GP for a referral, click here.

Contact Details for Referrals:
Dr Santosh Mordekar
Sheffield Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust,
Ryegate Children’s Centre,
Tapton Crescent Road,
Sheffield S10 5DD

Contact details for telephone enquiries:

Dr Santosh Mordekar: 0114 2260675
Jackie Cutts: 0114 3053766 or 07799037693